When you're investing in an office redesign, you want more than a fresh coat of paint: you want to improve the space and how your employees, customers and visitors experience it. The desire to improve your experience of a space is one of the driving forces behind this year's hottest interior design trends.

We've spent a lot of time talking with architects and designers, and visiting trade shows like NeoCon 2017, to uncover emerging design ideas to keep your renovation project on-trend. From color, to materials, to concepts, we're sharing 6 of the hottest interior design trends of 2017.

1) The Rise of Biophilic Design

Biophilic design is the practice of incorporating elements of nature into interior design. Research has found thatviews of nature, and access to greenery and natural lighting, help employees feel less stressed and frustrated, and better able to focus effectively during work. After incorporating biophilic design into the workplace, other studies have recorded an immediate13% boost to wellbeing, and an 8% increase to productivity.

Most designers want to create a space that benefits the people who use it every day, so elements of biophilic design - such as access to natural light, and including plants or images of nature - are becoming popular additions to commercial interiors.

2) Gray

Gray was a popular color choice last year, and is still a top design option this year. It works well with the full color spectrum if you want to pair it with brighter colors, or looks fantastic pared-down with white for a clean, bright look.

3) Bright and Bold Colors

We're also seeing an increased use of bold, vivid colors in commercial spaces. Designers are incorporating adventurous color schemes into their designs through their choice of furniture, soft furnishings such as blinds or curtains or artwork, or through more structural choices such as their choice of flooring, or dividers to break-up an open plan commercial space.

4) Commercial Meets Residential

We're excited to see a blurring of the lines between commercial and residential design aesthetics. We're moving away from commercial spaces designed in stiff neutrals and muted colors, and towards a more creative aesthetic that draws on the comfort and energy of residential design.

This movement is reflected in the changing use of colors, as well as different fabrics and materials, and the types of furniture selected. Comfort is a growing priority for designers, so furniture choices are becoming less stiff and formal - for example you're more likely to find sofas in lobbies than individual chairs.

The growing similarities between residential and commercial design stems from a recognition that people are spending more and more time at work, so a comfortable working environment is a huge benefit for them, and their organization.

5) Fun and Funky

There's a growing trend in some parts of the country to create commercial spaces that are 'fun' or 'funky' - where creating the right visual impression is more important than selecting durable or timeless products. Companies opt for bright colors, and plush flooring products that will look great for a few years, but will only have a relatively short lifecycle.

This desire to create a 'fun' workplace manifests most obviously in the furniture choices - think foosball tables, innovative breakout spaces, and alternative seating options to embrace the healthy working trend, such as treadmills or exercise balls.

6) Digital Designs Brought to Life

Designers and architects have a world of powerful design technologies at their fingertips, even extending as far as their choice of flooring (thanks to innovative creations like Milliken'sproprietary print technology).

Designs that were once the stuff of dreams can now be made real, making it possible to translate digital design inspiration into real-world fabrics, patterns and prints. If designers can imagine it, digital print technology can realise it, and we've seen a huge explosion in designs that blur the boundaries between the online and offline worlds.